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American Morning
Interview with John Edwards
Aired February 18, 2004 - 07:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to politics. John Kerry may sound like the party's presumptive nominee for president, but after his strong second-place finish in Wisconsin John Edwards has a message for the Democratic front-runner. He says do not presume anything.
The candidate, a North Carolina senator, is with us now from Washington this morning.
Senator, good morning to you.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: I was watching and listening to you last night. You were sounding as if you had won. Do you feel like this was a victory in Wisconsin?
EDWARDS: I think it was an extraordinary victory. You know, the day before it, I was looking at polls showing me 25 to 35 points behind, so it was an enormous surge at the end and, honestly, a real surprise for me.
HEMMER: So, you have two weeks to go before Super Tuesday on March 2. How will you draw the differences even starker between yourself and Senator Kerry with 14 days to go?
EDWARDS: To focus on what the real policy differences are between us. I mean, we have legitimate differences about issues like jobs and trade. Senator Kerry supported NAFTA and other trade agreements. I was against NAFTA and some of the trade agreements that he was for, and I think they've cost us millions of jobs. And I think voters needs to see the difference in our views on what needs to be done about trade and how trade can work for America and American workers.
And we have some other differences. For example, it's a big issue in my campaign to reduce the influence of Washington lobbyists, banning their contributions, and doing other things.
So, I think there are differences that will become more apparent, particularly now that it appears we're in a two-man race.
HEMMER: It has bee reported that your camp has talked just this week with Howard Dean's camp. He has an event later today. There is a report circulating today in the "L.A. Times" that he will essentially end his campaign, not withdraw, but stop campaigning. Would you take Howard Dean's support? And do you expect to get it today or possibly over the next week?
EDWARDS: Absolutely I would take his support. I don't have any expectation about it one way or the other. I have a very good relationship with Governor Dean. I have enormous respect for him. I think that he has been a real force and a positive force in this campaign, bringing in people that otherwise wouldn't have been involved. I think he's been a very important voice during the course of this campaign.
HEMMER: Just to be...
EDWARDS: Of course, I would love to have his support.
HEMMER: Just to be clear on this point, you don't expect that support at this point, is that right?
EDWARDS: I don't know. I have no way of knowing, Bill. This is something that Governor Dean will have to decide for himself.
HEMMER: And...
EDWARDS: He and I talked as recently as last -- excuse me, I'm sorry. We talked as recently as last night, but he gave me no indication about what he was going to do.
HEMMER: If Howard Dean was not on the ballot in Wisconsin yesterday, do you think you would have won that state?
EDWARDS: I think if the primary had taken place two or three days later, I would have won, because we went up, I mean, 20-something points, it looks like, in the last couple of days. We were surging up. It appears that Senator Kerry may have been ticking down some. So, I think with just a couple of more days we would have probably won the Wisconsin primary.
And if Howard Dean -- I can't, you know, answer hypothetical questions, but there is clearly some overlap between his supporters and mine, because we both believe in change for this country and we believe that we have to change what's going on in Washington.
HEMMER: Your senior advisor, David Axelrod, was quoted this week as saying that John Kerry is just hanging on, in his words. He said he's just propped up by the process. Do you believe that also about Senator Kerry?
EDWARDS: I wouldn't say -- I wouldn't use that language. I think that Senator Kerry is a good and serious candidate, and has been from the beginning. I believe that I am also a good and serious candidate. And I think we present very different options for Democratic voters and for the American people in this process. And I think it's a very good option for Democratic voters to have, and I believe they're going to choose me as we go forward.
HEMMER: One more thought here. Late last night, Senator Kerry told CNN that he expected this close finish, he said, in part because of the open primary system in Wisconsin. Republicans voted. Independents voted as well. Do you see that as a viable explanation for your success rather last night?
EDWARDS: I think that's a factor. I think that's a fair consideration of one factor, but I think there was more than that. You know, my message of jobs resonated. We had a debate Sunday night, which clearly helped. Monday, I got the endorsement of the largest newspaper in the state that concluded that I was the most electable against George Bush.
And if I can just tag onto what Senator Kerry said and what you just -- the point you just made. You know, the fact that Independents are flocking to me and supporting me in these primaries is powerful evidence that I would be the strongest candidate against George Bush, because we have to get those people to win against George Bush in the fall.
HEMMER: John Edwards, thank you for your time in D.C. It will be an interesting two weeks coming off of Wisconsin last night.
EDWARDS: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
HEMMER: You got it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired February 18, 2004 - 07:17 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Back to politics. John Kerry may sound like the party's presumptive nominee for president, but after his strong second-place finish in Wisconsin John Edwards has a message for the Democratic front-runner. He says do not presume anything.
The candidate, a North Carolina senator, is with us now from Washington this morning.
Senator, good morning to you.
SEN. JOHN EDWARDS (D), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: Good morning, Bill.
HEMMER: I was watching and listening to you last night. You were sounding as if you had won. Do you feel like this was a victory in Wisconsin?
EDWARDS: I think it was an extraordinary victory. You know, the day before it, I was looking at polls showing me 25 to 35 points behind, so it was an enormous surge at the end and, honestly, a real surprise for me.
HEMMER: So, you have two weeks to go before Super Tuesday on March 2. How will you draw the differences even starker between yourself and Senator Kerry with 14 days to go?
EDWARDS: To focus on what the real policy differences are between us. I mean, we have legitimate differences about issues like jobs and trade. Senator Kerry supported NAFTA and other trade agreements. I was against NAFTA and some of the trade agreements that he was for, and I think they've cost us millions of jobs. And I think voters needs to see the difference in our views on what needs to be done about trade and how trade can work for America and American workers.
And we have some other differences. For example, it's a big issue in my campaign to reduce the influence of Washington lobbyists, banning their contributions, and doing other things.
So, I think there are differences that will become more apparent, particularly now that it appears we're in a two-man race.
HEMMER: It has bee reported that your camp has talked just this week with Howard Dean's camp. He has an event later today. There is a report circulating today in the "L.A. Times" that he will essentially end his campaign, not withdraw, but stop campaigning. Would you take Howard Dean's support? And do you expect to get it today or possibly over the next week?
EDWARDS: Absolutely I would take his support. I don't have any expectation about it one way or the other. I have a very good relationship with Governor Dean. I have enormous respect for him. I think that he has been a real force and a positive force in this campaign, bringing in people that otherwise wouldn't have been involved. I think he's been a very important voice during the course of this campaign.
HEMMER: Just to be...
EDWARDS: Of course, I would love to have his support.
HEMMER: Just to be clear on this point, you don't expect that support at this point, is that right?
EDWARDS: I don't know. I have no way of knowing, Bill. This is something that Governor Dean will have to decide for himself.
HEMMER: And...
EDWARDS: He and I talked as recently as last -- excuse me, I'm sorry. We talked as recently as last night, but he gave me no indication about what he was going to do.
HEMMER: If Howard Dean was not on the ballot in Wisconsin yesterday, do you think you would have won that state?
EDWARDS: I think if the primary had taken place two or three days later, I would have won, because we went up, I mean, 20-something points, it looks like, in the last couple of days. We were surging up. It appears that Senator Kerry may have been ticking down some. So, I think with just a couple of more days we would have probably won the Wisconsin primary.
And if Howard Dean -- I can't, you know, answer hypothetical questions, but there is clearly some overlap between his supporters and mine, because we both believe in change for this country and we believe that we have to change what's going on in Washington.
HEMMER: Your senior advisor, David Axelrod, was quoted this week as saying that John Kerry is just hanging on, in his words. He said he's just propped up by the process. Do you believe that also about Senator Kerry?
EDWARDS: I wouldn't say -- I wouldn't use that language. I think that Senator Kerry is a good and serious candidate, and has been from the beginning. I believe that I am also a good and serious candidate. And I think we present very different options for Democratic voters and for the American people in this process. And I think it's a very good option for Democratic voters to have, and I believe they're going to choose me as we go forward.
HEMMER: One more thought here. Late last night, Senator Kerry told CNN that he expected this close finish, he said, in part because of the open primary system in Wisconsin. Republicans voted. Independents voted as well. Do you see that as a viable explanation for your success rather last night?
EDWARDS: I think that's a factor. I think that's a fair consideration of one factor, but I think there was more than that. You know, my message of jobs resonated. We had a debate Sunday night, which clearly helped. Monday, I got the endorsement of the largest newspaper in the state that concluded that I was the most electable against George Bush.
And if I can just tag onto what Senator Kerry said and what you just -- the point you just made. You know, the fact that Independents are flocking to me and supporting me in these primaries is powerful evidence that I would be the strongest candidate against George Bush, because we have to get those people to win against George Bush in the fall.
HEMMER: John Edwards, thank you for your time in D.C. It will be an interesting two weeks coming off of Wisconsin last night.
EDWARDS: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
HEMMER: You got it.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
